Swan Queen Week
by meowingnow
Summary: So this is my first time writing SwanQueen so please be kind. I will try to post them as they should be posted.
1. Confessions

Emma was no stranger to her wife's antics when it came to food. The woman could be a pain in the ass when it came to her eating habits. Sure, she did eat a good amount of fast food each week, but she never over did it. That was where the problem lied. Over the past weeks, Regina had been over her and her meals. The woman had just finished reading a book she had borrowed from Belle about the dangers of fast food and the possible loss of time due to a high cholesterol. So Emma decided to take matters into her own hands and so, called in a secret meeting with her son, the other victim of the Anti-Fast Food regime her wife had enacted.

"I think I have an idea"

"Let's hear it kid. What you got?" She asked the teen.

"Okay, so I saw this documentary the other day in class about subliminal messages and publicity and I think I have a solution to our current situation" He looked around the diner, making sure no one was listening in to their conversation. "We're gonna hack the TV" He said cheerfully with an evil smirk on his face.

"And… do you, for some chance, know how to hack a TV?" She asked her son, already plotting the great strike against the unwanted authority in their house.

"Well, I have a friend… But he won't do it if he doesn't have a signed document by the Sheriff in which it's established that there won't be no interference whatsoever."

"You've been watching way too much TV lately kid. Let's say that I agree on the terms, what is he going to do exactly?" She was curious, she had seen it in series like CSI or Criminal Minds, where they literally wash someone's brain to their own benefits. But she also needed to know the Mayor wasn't going to get hurt by their little revenge.

"He would hack the TV so that every time Mom's watching it, a picture of fast food comes up every ten minutes or so, she wouldn't have time to register it completely consciously, but her subconscious would. The message is then deliver to the brain and so, Mom would develop a craving for fast food." He explained what little he knew about the technique, having been introduced to it only days prior.

"Does this have any secondary effects?"

"Nope. Mom won't notice it"

"Okay kid. You've got yourself a deal. Call this kid and give the papers I need to sign" She looked around and waved Ruby over to their table to take their orders.

…

Emma began reading the paper Henry had slipped in her drawer the afternoon before and huffed. The paper looked like if Mr. Gold himself had written it.

 _Sheriff Emma Swan-Mills, representing the police force and every law enforcement agent in Storybrooke, Maine, is fully aware of the following terms of this contract:  
_

_1\. It is strictly confidential and the acts that will happen later on, will only be known to Henry Swan-Mills, Emma Swan-Mills and myself, Connor Davis._

 _2\. As it's been discussed earlier, the Sheriff hereby declares that she will not take any legal measures should the repercussions be greater that what it has already been thought out to be._

 _3\. Lastly, the Sheriff also gives consent to her son Henry Swan-Mills to meet with me whenever he wants, in case the Mayor were to figure out what's about to transpire during the following weeks._

 _This contract has been signed by the three people involved in this project. This contract will be respected as a formal document, binding the engaged parties to fulfill the terms and conditions._

Emma had just signed the contract when she heard the familiar sound of heels resonating through the police station. In a swift move, she placed the paper inside the drawer and locked it with the key.

"Emma?" She heard her name being called out and looked towards the owner of the voice.

"Geez, I thought you were Regina" She told the waitress.

"And why were you so afraid of her walking in? Is there something going on that I should know?" Ruby walked in to the office and began sniffing and looking around, trying to find out if the blonde had someone hiding in the station.

"Rubes, what are you doing here?" She asked once, she had recovered from her scare.

"Well, I need your help" Emma nodded for her to continue. "I need to get Regina on board with an idea I'm going to bring up during the next Council and I really need her approval to carry it on." She then proceeded to tell Emma about the idea she had been developing for the last three weeks, she wanted to open a hair salon, and being the only one in town, it needed enough votes to pass.

"You know how tight we are right now with public funding, Ruby. I can try but I can't promise anything. Now that Gina's in her third semester, she's been having this huge mood swings and lately she doesn't want anything to do with me. And yes, I'm talking about sex. So, if you want me to convince her, you have to come up with ideas. And not ones that requires me more chores than what I already have." Emma explained to her best friend.

"But you're gonna try right? For me?" She gave the Sheriff the puppy dog eyes.

Emma tried to avert her gaze, she knew that if she looked to Ruby, she would have to agree with her so she looked down. "Um… Rubes, I think I have an idea" She took the paper out of the drawer and showed it to Ruby who grinned like an idiot.

"Ems, count me in." Emma nodded and sent a quick text to Henry to let him know the news. "Is this why you jumped when I came in?" The blonde nodded. "Well, I'm sure you know that if the Queen gets word on what you guys have planned, sex will be the least of your worries" She gave Emma the paper back and exited the Sheriff office.

…

Henry ran through the hallways, trying to catch the other senior. They had been planning out everything, to the last detail, so the Mayor would step down from her controlling habits. So, over the week, they spoke freely of the way they needed to proceed, the images they wanted to show the woman and seeing that Ruby had somehow managed to get it, they added more images into the setting. The only thing left to do was to get Connor to hack the TV. For that, Emma had volunteered to take the Mayor out on a date, and Ruby had also volunteered in case the blonde needed help distracting Regina.

The plan was already laid out: Emma would take Regina out to the diner at exactly 5:30, they would have dinner and enjoy each other's company, and also the clumsiness and tardiness of a certain brunette who somehow would forget all their orders or mess them up. If this didn't work out, Ruby would call down Snow and would trap the Mayor in an impromptu family get-together. Meanwhile, Henry and Connor would break apart the TV and insert the device the former had developed, while informing Emma and Ruby of their process. If it all went great, they would get a nice outing to the diner full of fast food and a promise from the Mayor to consider Ruby's project.

"Connor!" Henry shouted out to the teen, who with his headphones on couldn't hear him.

"Your Highness" He took his headphones off and smiled at the other teen. "How can I be at your service?" Henry huffed, he hated being part of a royal family, he hated the way people treated him when they had to talk to him. Even if they were pulling his leg.

"Hey to you, too. I need your help; I need to know who sent me this" He showed him the image he had received the class before.

"I see… Do you guys have security cameras inside your house?" The picture itself wasn't too relieving, it showed the Mayor sitting on the Sheriff's lap who had her arms around the older woman's round belly. The image was too intimate to be seen in a phone and not in a frame. He was sure he had been in the same room at that time, he remembered quite clear that his brunette mother had started questioning him about his break up with Grace. And his blonde mother had helped him out wrapping her arms around her wife and kissing her neck, which made the Mayor snuggle up to the other woman.

"No, and I need to know now. I was there, when they took it and I have no idea how I didn't catch them" Henry asked the other teen.

"Listen, give me your phone for the day and I'll make sure you know who sent you this." He promised the worried boy.

"Thanks man, I owe you one." He waved at him and made his way out of the building, catching a glimpse of the yellow beetle parked in front of the door.

"Hey kid" Emma opened the driver's door and got inside the vehicle, waiting for Henry to do the same. "So… is he still in? We're doing it right?" The blonde woman asked the teen.

"I'm good Ma, my day went great. Thanks so much for asking, I really appreciate it." He answered sarcastically to her.

"I'm sorry kid, but I'm kind of freaking out over this." Emma admitted. It hadn't been exactly easy to hide the mission from her pregnant wife.

Henry just hummed as a response, he had more problem with the events from earlier in the day, he didn't want his mothers finding out they had been photographed without their consent.

…

The day had come. They were on their way to the diner, they were meeting David, Snow and Neal for lunch and they were eager to step foot into the establishment.

Emma was grinning like an idiot, holding her wife's hand and bumping her right shoulder with her son's. Life was good for her. In that moment she had everything she had ever wished. She looked at Regina and squeezed her hand to get her attention, and the brunette smiled. She had been a bit weird that morning, her eggs had been untouched and the coffee had been thrown away, the cold liquid had gone to the sink. Emma had her suspicions, she knew the brunette knew at some extent that the Mayor had been suffering from the late state of her pregnancy.

"Emma, Regina!" They heard the chirpy voice of Snow White from across the room.

"Hey Mom, Dad, Neal." Emma slumped down on the booth, waiting for her wife to sit down beside her. When she did, she placed her arm around her shoulders and let the brunette lean on her.

"Oh Regina. You have to tell me all about your latest check-up." Her mother-in-law inquired her.

"Well, let me feed the little one first and then, my dear Snow, you'll know more than your daughter." She smirked, knowing well that Emma wasn't paying attention to her.

Ruby arrived at their table, she could see the corner of a written document she had no doubt it was the stupid project the woman was so adamant about. She had been to every single City Council for two months and she hadn't been to any before that. She really liked the project but she also knew there was no money to fund it or even to begin with it.

"Well…" Henry said, looking intently at her. "I think that I'm going to get the cheeseburger with extra cheese and fries. What about you Moms?" He asked his blonde mother, smiling exactly like the blonde.

"Make it two. Babe?" She huffed and looked down at her menu. If she was going to win, she had to play her cards right.

"I don't think you want to leave this baby brotherless and motherless, do you?" She smirked, already feeling her wife stiffen at her words.

"Um…" Yeap, Emma was at a loss for word and poor Henry didn't know how to exit the booth, seeing as he was sandwiched between his grandparents.

"So I'll order salad for the both of you."

"I don't feel like eating a salad Mom."

"And why's that? Is there anything I should know?" Regina diverted her gaze from her son to her wife and viceversa.

"Okay fine. The kid and I hacked the TV." Emma confessed. She didn't have another choice if she didn't want to sleep on the couch.

"You did what?" Regina feigned ignorance, knowing well that if she kept it up, they would crack.

"A friend helped. We made a deal, he would hack the TV and put these images so you subconsciously would want fast food. But I don't think it worked out." The teen admitted to his brunette mother.

"And why would you want to hack my brain?" She addressed the Sheriff.

"Well, you've been pretty worried about us not wanting to eat fast food and we can't take any more salads or carrots or anything green that isn't a stuffed oreo. So we decided to do it behind your back. We know that it's not the right thing to do, but you gotta understand. _I_ cannot go on living with just vegetables in my system and Henry's still growing, he needs all the greasy stuff he can find. I know that it probably hurt you but it was necessary so you could figure this out."

"Emma love. Why didn't you tell me all of these things? I would've stepped down and let you guys eat all the fast food you wanted."

"Wait. What? All we had to do was talk to you?"

"Well, we did promise to be honest with each other dear. Through the good and the bad, remember? How could I deny you anything when you give me everything? You can't even comprehend the extent of my gratitude towards you, because I cannot do that myself. I lost count after all the things you've said to me, all the times you've carried me, literally and metaphorically, all the things you've done for me. For Christ's sake Emma, _you_ gave me the greatest gifts of all, Henry and now the little one growing inside of me. If there is something you want you tell me and I'll make sure you have it, because you deserve _everything_ in the world and if it makes you happy, it makes me happy. Even if it's stuffing your mouth with food rich on fat and calories. There is _nothing_ that I'll deny to you. Because you Emma Swan-Mills are everything to me, and I love you for being you" Emma just cupped her face with her hands and fused their mouths together, pouring all the love she felt for the other woman in the kiss. When they broke apart due to the back of oxygen, they both had matching smiles on their faces.

"Well, since we are all being honest here, there's a problem with the security at home. Someone took a picture of you and sent it to the whole school."

"Again?" Regina asked and her son nodded.

"I mean, it's not like the last time, you guys aren't naked in that photo. I still have nightmares about it." He said thoughtful

"The student body saw you naked?" David the two women.

"Sissy, why were you and Gina naked?" Neal added.

"Well…" Emma began telling the story about that time that Henry's supposed friend had placed a secret camera in their room and had taken some compromising footage.


	2. Travel

**A/N: So… I'm really glad that you guys liked the last chapter. I didn't expect so many followers and favorites (yes, to me that's a surprisingly big amount). So thank you so much for your patience.**

 **I'm actually from Spain, so my first language is Spanish, which makes English my second language. I do try to check every single thing I publish, but more often than not grammar makes weak. Enough of me, let's get this started.**

… **..**

"I told you so." Regina stated, exiting the vehicle.

"Yeah, I got that. Thanks." She sighed and made an attempt to approach the brunette. "I mean; we are not that lost." She looked around and the Mayor just shook her head.

"Of course not, Miss Swan. We are literally in the middle of nowhere. We don't know how to get home, because one; we don't know where we are, and two; we are out of gas. So no, Emma, we're not that lost." She ran a hand through her hair, trying to calm herself down.

"Look, I know you are pissed at me, and believe me, I'm also pissed at myself for not paying enough attention. But, you gotta think positively here."

"Emma, do not give me a hope speech like your mother." She warned the Sheriff. She was supposed to be in the pool of the expensive hotel, sipping some exotic beverage, not in the middle of nowhere.

"Okay, I won't" The Sheriff grabbed her hands and entwined their hands, her green eyes meeting brown. "But let me tell you two things: I don't care we spend our vacations, we could be lost in the jungle, stuck in Neverland once again or sharing the house with my parents. I don't care, because _you_ are my vacation Gina. And if you look around, you'll notice that at least this time, we have not travelled to another realm" She said eliciting a small laugh from her girlfriend. She brought her hand to the older woman's chin and brought their lips together in a sweet kiss.

"Either way, we are lost Emma. And as you have brought us here, you're getting us out of here." She hid her face in the younger woman's neck, smiling her scent.

"Fine. But let me enjoy this hug first." Emma tightened her grip on Regina's waist.

"You, Miss Swan are an idiot." She kissed her neck.

"But I'm your idiot." She felt the brunette smiled against her neck and grinned.

When they broke apart, Emma began rummaging through her car, trying to find by some chance a map or anything that could help. Meanwhile Regina was walking around the clearing they had pulled over, trying to find some signal. When she went to look in the backseat, she found an empty bag of Doritos, an empty can of Coke and a receipt. She unwrapped the receipt. It was from a jewelry store, in Boston. She began reading and jump out of the car.

"Regina!" She yelled, waving the paper in the air. "Look what I found" She handed the Mayor the small piece of paper and waited patiently for her to realize what it meant.

"Emma, you were supposed to find something useful. This will get us nowhere." She said sternly, handing the receipt to the distraught blonde. "I thought you were smarter than the shepherd." She muttered.

"Yes, I know that this isn't exactly helpful, but do you know what this means?" She asked the older woman, waiting to get some sort of reaction from her.

Feigning ignorance, she shook her head. "What does it matter now? We're lost in the forest Emma."

"Wait, you know what this is. And it's not Henry, he doesn't have that much money and obviously doesn't have anyone to give a diamond ring. Regina tell me." She begged, grabbing the brunette's hands.

"Do you want to know why I'm so mad at you? You got us lost Emma. And we were supposed to be at the hotel, we were supposed to be having a shower and maybe sex too. Then we would've gone to this fine restaurant all dressed up, you would wear that new suit and the green tie that brings out your eyes and I would show you the dress I bought to compliment it." She saw how her girlfriend tried to wrap her mind about what was happening. "We would be dining at this very moment, and after having the most expensive meal in our lives, I would take out this box of my purse and I would open it for you to see." She said, showing the blonde the beautiful ring she had picked with Henry's help.

"Regina… what are you doing?" Emma asked, still shocked at the situation.

"I would then propose to you. But seeing as we won't make it time, I'm going to improvise now. So please bear with me." She cleared her throat and took both of Emma's hands. "Emma, you have been by far one of the finest things that have ever happened to me, the most beautiful person I have ever had the pleasure of calling mine. You know how hard it is for me to love ant trust someone openly, and that everyone I love eventually leaves. But you stayed, you stayed through the good and the bad, you've given me everything I ever dreamed of, you gave me Henry and I cannot thank you enough for that. Emma you are the one I know I want to spend the rest of my life with, you are the only one I know who will stand by my side every single step of the way. You are the only one whom I want to call mine, and the one I want to belong with. So, Emma Swan, will you give me the honor of being my wife?" She only got a nod as a response, but that was all she needed. She sild the ring in her finger on her right hand and looked at her. She didn't get to say another thing, before the blonde woman brought their lips together. Not wasting any time, she felt Emma begging for entrance and she gave it to her. The kiss was cut short when Emma realized she hadn't answered her question yet.

"Yes. It's definitely a yes." She grinned and just took the time to look at her fiancée. Her brown eyes were shimmering with tears, yet, they were shining so bright that Emma knew she would forever remember that exact moment when they promised each other a future together.

… **.**

"David!" Snow squealed loudly, jumping due to her excitement. "Henry! Come here!" She called for the rest of the family.

"What is it Snow?" She heard David asked.

"Emma! She said yes. Look!" She pointed outside the window where they could see the couple getting out of the yellow VW. "Our baby girl is getting married David!" She turned around to address Henry, but he was already out of the door.

They both looked as their grandchild welcomed his mothers, who embraced him in a hug. They could see all of them in tears, even the Mayor. And when she went to welcome her daughter, she couldn't help but stare at the smiled she was sporting. She knew she had to thank Regina for that, and she would do it every single time she saw the former Evil Queen, if it meant her daughter wouldn't go a day without a smile on her face.


	3. Insecurities and Illness

**A/N: I'm sorry. I know some of you will hate me after this.**

 **Mason and Dani (Danielle) are Emma and Regina's True Lobe children, and Sophie is Henry's fiancée.**

… **.**

Emma waited patiently for Whale to give them the answers they were dying to know. They were sitting down on those uncomfortable chairs, chatting with the other patients' families, trying to ease the agonizing feeling in the pit of their stomach. It was quite a risk really, and more so when they had kids. Mason had just turned ten and Dani was about to turn eight. They had thought of every possibility and they had visited various experts outside Storybrooke. They weren't ready to have the devastating and terrifying positive answer to their suspicions. They had a future ahead of them, and they couldn't deny their children a very important part of their lives. So while they waited, Regina weighed all of her options, if they were indeed sick, they would start the treatment right away, they would get their kids tested, even Henry's girlfriend. She would calmly explain the situation to her in-laws, she couldn't trust Emma with that. Her wife had the bad habit of stating the truth without any preambles or warnings whatsoever. So, after they would tell Snow and Charming, they would decide if they still wanted to live in Storybrooke, where everyone would know of their condition. But then again, it all depended on the results.

"Emma, before Whale gives us the results I want you to know that I don't care if we are both sick. I don't care if we die sooner than what we expected. Yes, I would love to see my three children grow up and have a family of their own, but if this means that we won't be doing that, then I want you to know that I don't regret any moment I've spent with you." She felt the tears welled up in her eyes and when she looked at the green eyes that were looking at her with so much love, she couldn't help but letting them fall.

Emma smiled warmly at her wife, took both her hands in hers and kneeled in front of her. "Regina, I know that and please, know that I feel the same way about you and about this situation. But, If I ever have to choose between you and me, I will always choose you Gina. You are the only one I want to endure this with." She drew a shaky breath and continued on. "So, don't be scared, I know everything will be alright, and if it turns out that we don't have much time, I'll gladly spend that time with you, our kids and the rest of our family. I will thank Henry for bringing me to you, I'll thank Dani for lighting up my days, I'll make sure Mason knows how special and unique he is, I will probably write some letter to my parents to give them hope, and end them with an "I will always find you". And I will renew my vows to you, I will say I love you before I even say good morning, I will stay by your side just as I know you will do for me. I will cherish every single moment I will be given with you and marvel at how I got so lucky." She was crying by now, silently expressing all the fear and insecurities that she felt at that very moment.

"I'll probably answer all of my sister's questions about Mother, I will admit to love Snow White out loud, I'll even give your father a diploma of some kind so he can have an academic achievement, I will respect whatever decision Henry makes concerning his life and support him like we've done during these years. I will show my handsome and kind son that it is okay to let people help you, that even when you hate that specific person, there's no shame in asking for help. I will see to it that my daughter doesn't experience that dreadful feeling of worthlessness I have when I think about my mother." She looked at the blonde and wondered how did she get to that point in life when the last person she thought of, was herself. The same woman who had been born to destroy her, had been the one who had showed her how to love and live and enjoy. So, she managed all the courage in her body and said all the words she had been dying to tell her since the very moment they got the results that evening in Massachusetts. "I'll repeat my vows to you until they're all I can say, I will share with you all my deepest secrets and I will never leave your side, even when I'll draw the last breath, I will make do everything in my power to do it in your arms, looking into those green eyes I love."

There were no more words, all had been said. And so, when Whale sat down in his office and explained to them the procedure of the treatment, they held each other's hands and accepted their new future. They didn't show any signs of fear, there weren't tears to shed because they knew they would need them for later. Whale didn't make any comments when they booked a whole day of his schedule to carry out their children's tests. After they exited the room, they didn't judge the famous Dr. Frankenstein, who was struggling to keep his tears at bay, they did however smile in gratitude at him. The drive back home was silent, the only sound they could here was the motor of the old Benz. Still, Regina took Emma's right hand and brought it to her lips, kissing the knuckled softly.

… **.**

"So, you have AIDS?" Henry asked, already hating the word.

"Not exactly, HIV. AIDS is used when the virus has developed into a Syndrome." Regina explained to her son.

Henry got up from her seat and started pacing. "How long do you have? Is there a treatment? How could I have not known about this earlier?" He was frantic, always getting to the point.

Regina looked at her wife, and Emma took it upon herself to answer the young man. "Henry, do you remember that time you took care of Mase and Dani so we could go on a road trip?" He nodded and placed his hands on the back of the chair. "Well, it wasn't really a road trip per say. We went to three clinics, one in Los Angeles, another one in Colorado and the last one in Massachusetts. We had our suspicions, but when we got them confirmed, we couldn't tell you. You were so invested in proposing to Sophie that we decided to hold onto it and let you have your moment. Apparently we had the symptoms from when you finished college, we didn't think any of it, just a cold or a bug. But the virus kept growing, and even if we don't have a full grown syndrome, we don't have as much time as we could have, should we had known earlier." She looked at her son, her patient son, so kind and humble that he couldn't think about accepting the truth and she wished she could keep him in the dark.

"How long do you have? Will you make it to the wedding, we could postpone it." Sophie offered.

"That won't be necessary, dear. There's nothing that could keep me from seeing my Little Prince getting married. And besides, we have enough time to meet our grandchildren." She smiled at the girl, it had been over three years that they met and she couldn't think of a better suitor for her child.

"How much is enough?" He asked.

"If we are lucky, ten years. Otherwise it would be around five or six according to the doctors. But this is based on statistics, you know? And sometimes they're wrong." Emma tried so hard at lightning up his face.

"That's not enough. You are going to die before seeing Mason and Dani graduate high school, you won't be here when they bring their first boyfriend or girlfriend, there won't ever be a meet the parents. I won't be able to tell my kids that we're going to see Granny and Grandma. You won't see Neal make it to the NFL. Grandma will never forget the fact that you left this world before them, and Grandpa will blame himself for your death. It's just not fair. It fucking sucks!" Sophie flinched at his tone.

"Henry! Enough! You don't have to remember us all the things that will likely miss. We _know_ that there is nothing we can do to make this right. I have cried myself to sleep because I won't be there to help your sister pick a dress for prom, because I won't be there when Mason decides which college he wants to enroll in. Henry, I'm well aware that I will probably be long gone by the time your first born takes their first steps. So please don't remind us. You're not the only one who loses someone here. You lose your parents. Your mother loses the parents she has spent all her life looking for, a brother and we lose our children. We lose everything." The Mayor stood up. It was hard on him, but is was especially hard for them.

"Gina" Emma warned her, grabbing her arm and dragging her down to her lap. She wrapped her arms around her middle and leaned her head on her shoulder.

"I…Uh, I'm going to my room. I can't talk about this anymore." He retreated to his room and they sat in silence. They knew he needed time to process everything.

…

When it happened, they all reacted differently.

Snow swept it aside and focused on other things. She would excel at her job because of all the extra hours she put in. She would build the bird houses at home, where she didn't want to think. It hurt, it hurt like they had ripped the half a heart she possessed. It hurt more than what she thought was capable of suffering. And the worst of all was when she repaired on the picture frames hanging around her home. There had been a time when she took all of them down and hid them in her old room. When she swore she would never open that door, when it all became too much for her that she chose to forget her daughter hadn't existed, when she wished she had never been rescued by the brunette girl who would later become her daughter-in-law. When she decided that they hadn't existed. But it all shattered to pieces when Henry knocked on her door, looking at her as if she was the last beacon of hope. He didn't say much, just handed her a letter. It was Regina's handwriting and in that moment, she knew she had to step in and take care of her grandchildren. When she got into bed that night she wondered if Emma had felt the same when a ten-year-old Henry knocked on her door.

David, on the other hand, kept it to himself. He had known from the moment that they revealed the devastating news, that it wouldn't be too long before he had to bury his own daughter. He had been the only one who hadn't cried when Henry, sweet, sweet Henry read his eulogy. It had been full of compliments, fun anecdotes and intimate moments, he had proudly announced to the crowd he had been too lucky to witness. But he cried himself to sleep that night, as he had done since they had covered Emma with the hospital sheet. When he woke up, Snow was too busy with her work to realize he had been awake almost all night. In reality, he did sleep, but his dreams were plagued with blonde locks and snarky remarks. And so, he found the day much more bearable, being able to think freely without having to think about his deceased daughter. But, much like his wife, he came to his senses when he entered the loft and found the eyes of his daughter and daughter-in-law staring back at him. He smiled warmly and made a promise to the former Mayor and Sheriff. He wouldn't live a day without smiling at his family.

Mason and Dani had been 16 and 14 when their parents died. They left peacefully, Dr. Whale had said. But the sibling knew better than that. For example, they knew that it had taken their blonde mother two weeks to convince the old man who had taken a like to sharing the room with the Mayor, to change rooms. They had seen their brunette mother had a breakdown because she had been trying to heal herself with magic with no luck. At the age of 15 and 13, they learnt what AIDS meant, and that is would haunt them all their lives. They knew that their mothers had renewed their vows three times during their stay at the hospital. Dani knew that she was as stubborn as both of them, that she was as beautiful as her brunette mother and that she had the right to every single leather jacket she found in their parents' closet. Mason however, found out that he took after his brunette mother after having answered sarcastically to her Grandma, and that it was okay to be the one who took risks just as the Savior would have done. Still, they were too young to know what death entailed.

Sophie considered herself to be a smart and independent woman. And after the funeral didn't hesitate to take her husband to a psychologist, who so happened to be Archie. Henry had been Archie's last patient. There were rumors that it had been him who made the former cricket retire, but they both knew that it had been because of him. Henry had been present when the last words slipped out of his mothers' mouths. He had been the only witness of the long stares, of the struggle to hold hands, and of the warm and loving caress of his mothers to each other's cheeks. He would later remember his mother's words. "You know kid? You are by far, the best accident I've had. I wish I had more time, I wish I could tell you how proud I am, but I would need a life, something I don't have. But you do, and if I have to ask you one thing it would be to enjoy life as it comes, the good and the bad. Live the life we were lucky enough to give you and please don't dwell on the past. And love Sophie, because if you love her half as much as I love your mother, then you don't have to worry about a thing but her." She had told him that night in front of the vending machines, where they had escaped to have a snack. He didn't know then, but he would cherish those words like if they were written in the Bible. The Mayor didn't say anything, apparently she had spoken her last words to her wife, the three words she would have never get tired of hearing. Instead, she wrote him a letter: 

_My dear Prince:_

 _There are so many things left to say, that if I had to say them all at once, I would need three lifetimes just to make sure you know how much you mean to me. I have no other words but thank you, I love you and I'm sorry. Thank you for showing me love after a life full of darkness, thank you for being that beacon of hope of a better future, thank you for being the only reason behind my smile. For all of those things, I will always owe you._

 _I love you my Little Prince. I love you and the way you have of fixing thing. I love you because for ten years, you were the only reason I woke up. I love you because you brought me happiness when I was accustomed to the darkness, I love you because you were a hero before you even knew the word. You were the first one to believe in me, and for that I will always love you._

 _I'm sorry, I'm so deeply sorry that I won't get to tease you at Christmas, showing off those pictures of you as a baby. I'm sorry that you will have to shake hands of people when all you will want to do will be to cease to exist. I'm sorry that your mother and I won't be there to help you solve your problems in your marriage. But most of all, I'm sorry we won't get to love you as much as you deserve._

 _I'll will always love you, no matter the time and space._

 _Love_

 _Mom._

He would keep it, and later on, he would read it out loud. He would remember the two brave women who taught him what love meant, who kept on fighting till the end and who made sure he knew he deserved to have a place in Earth.


	4. Sleeping

"Regina" Emma whispered to her wife. "You awake?"

She watched as the brunette moved around so she was facing her. "Now I am." She was tired, she wouldn't lie to her wife if the blonde asked. But she also knew that if the younger woman needed to talk in that very moment, then they would.

"I've been thinking." Emma stated, her arms moved down to Regina's waist.

"And…?" Regina urged her on.

"And I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I made you fall in love with me."

"Excuse me?" The confused expression in the brunette's face, made Emma break into laughter.

"Okay, nope. I'm not sorry about that. I was kidding. I'm rather proud of having wooed you." She smiled as her wife rolled her eyes at her idiocy. "What do you think of my mother?" She asked.

"Is this a trick question? Because if I woke up to answer that question, you better make it up to me." She deadpanned.

Emma reconsidered her question, if she wanted to remain living she needed to rephrase the question.

"Don't you get the sense that there's something wrong with her, like as of lately." She asked, she was curious as to what has gotten to her mother's head.

"Emma Swan-Mills I swear to you that if you don't let me sleep, I will make sure you have more paperwork for the next twenty-eight years." She rolled over, so her wife couldn't see the smirk. Unlucky fir her, her wife knew her even better than she knew herself.

"Was the pun intended?" She was met with silence. "It better have been. Taught you well, I have my young padawan." She smiled at her own joke.

"Dear God, Emma. Please stop talking." She huffed and took the hand resting on her waist. "I need to sleep if tomorrow morning you want me to behave properly." She could imagine the stupid grin in the blonde's face.

"I wouldn't be opposed to that idea; I rather enjoy your company when you aren't in your best behavior." Emma admitted.

"Emma Swan-Mills if you don't shut up, I'll ground you for two weeks." And that was the last sound heard in the house.

…

"Gina" Emma shook her wife awake. But the woman wasn't having any of it, she moved away from the Sheriff and took the rest of the blankets to her side. "Okay, I know you're awake" Emma took it upon herself to restore the equal sharing of the blankets.

"You don't get to take all the blankets" Regina warned her with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I'm not giving this up, so you might as well come closer." She opened her arms, welcoming the brunette to lay with her.

"You expect me to cuddle up to you now?" She raised her eyebrow.

"Um… yes?" She grinned.

"But only if you promise you'll shut up and let me sleep" When the other woman nodded, she moved and rest her head on Emma's chest, hearing the heartbeat.

… **..**

It was 4:30 in the morning when Regina found out why the blonde had woken up twice during the night. She laid a hand across the blonde's belly and waited. She smiled when she felt a kick to her hand and looked up to her wife, who was sleeping soundly. Apparently Mason, how they had decided to name their child, had been kicking his mother since he had the ability to do so. Emma had already created a scale with Henry, scoring the strength of Mason's kicking: according to the pain, they would give the baby a number from 1 to 10. She was waiting for the event she knew was about to come.

A kick to her hand woke her up again, and this time she didn't open her eyes, she waited patiently. Another kick and she felt the other woman moved from underneath her.

"Gina" Emma whispered, a bit too loudly. "Wake up, please" She begged to the brunette.

"What is it this time?" She feigned annoyance, trying to get the blonde to say what she knew she was dying to say.

"I think we're gonna be famous" She literally scoffed. Even after all the years she had known the Sheriff, she sometimes was surprised with something new from the blonde.

"Explain" She pressed.

"We are going to be the parents of the next Karate Kid, not even Will Smith will get to our status." She smiled broadly, thinking of what to say next. "This kid is killing me from the inside. Like the alien thing on that movie." She looked at her wife, who was smiling, her gaze following her eyes.

"We'll make sure that Henry doesn't get thrown in this celebrity status Mason will achieve for us."

"I'm not kidding Regina; this kid will be the next Karate Wonder."

"That's not even a movie" She reasoned.

"Because they haven't met him yet. Just wait." She snored, and laid her head on the pillow. She sifted, so that her wife was now holding her.

And that was how the night ended for Regina. She fell asleep to be woken once again by her pregnant wife who made out of small talk her new goal.


End file.
